LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


-,^vh: 

NPfe 


GIFT  OF" 


C/ass 


A,/\h.  "iS 


.->/* 


TAH1T 


THE  CDLDEN 


BY   IHARLI  5  Kl         K 


TAHITI 

THE     GOLDEN 


Charles  Keeler 

A. 


'  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 

. 


Published  fay  the 

OCEANIC  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY 

San  Francisco,  California 

MDCCCCII 


TAHITI,  THE  GOLDEN 


The  Peopling  of  Tahiti 

'I-NUI  MARE  AREA!  Great  Tahiti, 
the  Golden!  Far  over  the  sea  it  lies,  a 
beautiful  isle  of  peace!  Tropic  wavelets 
break  about  it  in  a  blue  wilderness  of 
sparkling  sea!  Its  center  is  a  citadel  of  cloud-hung; 
peaks;  its  shore  is  a  broad  plain  of  verdure,  where 
breadfruit  trees  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder,  where  great 
banana  leaves  rustle  in  the  trade-wind,  and  coco  palms 
sway  airily  with  graceful  tufts  of  drooping  foliage  atop 
their  slender  stems*  All  about  its  shore  the  coral  builders 
have  reared  their  wall  a  half-mile  or  less  from  the  land, 
and  here  the  waves  leap  and  laugh  in  a  joyous  line 
of  white  spray*  Within  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  reef 
is  the  lagoon  of  passive  opalescent  tide,  where  myriads 
of  rainbow  fish  flash  hither  and  yon,  and  the  polyps 
drowse  or  sway  their  painted  tentacles  in  the  still  water* 
Long  ere  Columbus  had  dazzled  Europe  with  visions 
of  a  new  world,  a  hardy  race  of  voyagers  had  sought 


out  this  lovely  solitude  and  peopled  it.  They  had  come 
from  India,  tarrying  in  their  migration  at  Java,  and 
thence  on  to  Samoa  on  the  south  and  Hawaii  on  the 
north*  They  had  traversed  the  leagueless  sea  to  the 
eastward  and  had  found  Tahiti*  What  wonder  that 
the  land  seemed  good  to  them  and  that  they  flourished 
upon  its  bounty?  Before  their  feats  of  daring  many 
more  distinguished  voyages  of  civilized  men  pale  into 
insignificance*  "With  no  instruments  to  guide  them*  in 
canoes  sewed  together  with  cocoanut  fibre*  poorly  pro- 
visioned for  such  buffetings  with  the  sea*  they  sailed 
for  half  discovered  realms,  taking  with  them  not  merely 
the  lusty  men*  but  also  women  and  children*  Their 
traditions  are  so  exact  and  circumstantial  that  we  can 
picture  them  today  in  their  great  double  canoe*  plat- 
formed  over*  with  high  carved  stern-posts  and  graceful 
prows*  spreading  their  broad  mat  sail  to  the  trade-wind 
and  venturing  upon  their  perilous  quest*  steering  by  the 
steady  breeze  and  the  silent  procession  of  the  constella- 
tions* braving  the  perils  of  exposure  and  hunger  upon 
their  voyages  across  the  open  sea*  It  was  thus  that 
the  great  chief  Olopana  of  Hawaii*  driven  from  home 
by  disastrous  floods*  bore  his  wife  Lu'ukia*  in  the  XII 
Century*  to  find  a  new  dwelling-place  in  Tahiti,  the 
Golden*  twenty-three  hundred  miles  away*  From  that 
remote  time  to  the  present  the  fame  of  the  fair 
chieftainess  Lu'ukia  has  been  passed  on  from  mouth 


I 


I 


to  mouth,  and  her  exploits  have  been  treasured  in  song; 
and  story  from  Hawaii  to  New  Zealand*  She  was  a 
poetess,  a  dancer  famed  for  grace,  and  the  inventor  of 
a  style  of  dress  which  is  still  made  by  the  Hawaiians* 

In  Tahiti  every  mountain  crag  and  dimpled  valley 
has  its  tradition  to  enhance  the  natural  loveliness  of 
the  scene  by  association  with  gods  and  heroes*  Every 
promontory  of  the  rock-bound  coast,  every  coral  cove, 
where  the  wavelets  murmur  on  the  sandy  shore,  is 
hallowed  by  tales  of  genii  and  spirits,  or  by  the  chival- 
rous deeds  of  heroes*  Here  battles  have  been  fought, 
temples  have  been  builded,  lovers  have  sung  their  songs 
to  heedless  ears*  The  spirit  of  romance  hangs  over  the 
land*  There  is  not  merely  beauty  in  contemplation, 
but  also  in  reminiscence*  It  is  a  dream  land,  a  poet 
land,  a  South  Sea  Parnassus*  To  know  it  one  must  go 
there  and  dream  its  dream*  It  is  not  enough  to  see 
its  sensuous  splendor  of  verdant  crags  and  shimmering 
plains*  The  people  of  today  are  forgetting  their  old 
traditions  and  tales  of  history,  but  it  is  not  too  late 
to  rescue  them  from  oblivion*  Fortunately,  much  has 
been  permanently  recorded  and  should  be  learned  by 
all  who  would  truly  appreciate  this  fascinating  isle  and 
the  remarkable  people  who  inhabit  it* 

But  I  forget  that  Tahiti  is  not  for  all  the  world  as 
for  me  the  loadstone  of  memory*  To  many  it  is  scarce 
more  than  an  intangible  name  without  localization  or 


association*  Those  who  have  delved  in  the  chronicles 
of  the  South  Sea  voyagers— of  Wallis,  Cook  and  Bou- 
gainville—have read  the  glowing  accounts  of  such  hardy 
mariners  concerning  this  Isla  d'Amat,  while  lovers  of 
Pierre  Loti  and  Herman  Melville,  of  Stevenson  and 
Stoddard,  have  gleaned  from  their  pages  something 
of  the  glamor  of  tropic  joy  which  invests  the  spot. 
Nevertheless,  I  find  hosts  of  restless  spirits  who  have 
but  the  vaguest  notion  of  this  South  Sea  paradise,  and 
for  such  the  present  brief  sketch  is  written. 

Volcanic  Islands  and  cAtolls 

The  map  of  the  Pacific,  especially  in  the  western 
and  southern  quarters,  is  peppered  over  with  islets  and 
archipelagoes  in  bewildering  profusion*  About  thirty-six 
hundred  miles  south-southwest  of  San  Francisco,  in  the 
midst  of  a  group  known  as  the  Society  Islands,  lies 
Tahiti*  Honolulu  is  off  to  the  west  of  north  more 
than  two  thousand  miles.  Auckland  lies  at  nearly  the 
same  distance  to  the  southwest*  Tahiti,  in  about  f  7°  S. 
latitude,  is  not  quite  so  far  south  of  the  line  as  Hono- 
lulu is  north  of  it.  "With  a  length  of  scarce  thirty-five 
miles  and  a  breadth  of  perhaps  twelve,  it  is  not  a  large 
island,  but  its  ten  consorts  in  the  constellation  of  the 
Society  Group  are  all  of  lesser  size.  Near  to  this 
cluster  are  two  other  groups— the  Marquesas  and  the 


Paumotuan  or  Low  Archipelago.  All  three,  in  the 
division  of  the  spoils  of  Polynesia,  have  fallen  to  France* 
The  islands  of  the  South  Sea  are  of  two  forms  — 
volcanic  peaks  and  atolls— although  both  have  a  similar 
origin.  The  floor  of  the  Pacific,  in  common  with  many 
other  parts  of  the  earth's  surface,  is  either  slowly  rising 
or  sinking,  like  some  vast  uneasy  sleeper  breathing 
heavily*  Here  and  there  at  frequent  intervals  volcanos 
have  broken  out  and  piled  up  peaks  which  in  Hawaii 
mount  to  nearly  fourteen  thousand,  and  in  Tahiti  to 
over  seven  thousand  feet.  Around  each  of  these 
innumerable  dots  of  land  in  the  vast  reach  of  the 
Pacific,  the  coral  polyps  have  builded  a  fringing  reef 
of  lime.  Since  the  creatures  can  only  live  in  shallow 
water,  and  die  as  soon  as  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air, 
their  operations  are  confined  to  the  coast  of  the  vol- 
canoes. Whenever,  as  it  often  chanced,  the  island 
upon  which  they  had  located  was  slowly  sinking,  they 
would  build  up  their  wall  to  save  themselves  from 
perishing  in  deep  water.  It  is  obvious  that  if  this 
process  continued  long  enough,  the  land  would  entirely 
disappear  and  leave  a  submerged  circular  wall  of  coral 
just  below  the  level  of  low  tide.  The  action  of  the 
waves  in  breaking  off  masses  of  coral  and  piling  them 
up  would  in  course  of  time  produce  a  ting  of  sandy 
beach  rising  a  few  feet  above  the  sea.  Upon  this, 
cocoanuts  are  washed  ashore  and  ere  long  a  grove  of 


palms  flourishes  about  the  rim  of  an  enclosed  lagoon* 
This  is  an  atoll— the  last  stage  in  the  disappearance  of 
a  volcanic  islet  from  the  sea*  The  Paumotuan  Archi- 
pelago consists  entirely  of  such  atolls*  while  several  of 
the  Society  Islands  are  also  of  this  description* 

The  Land  and  its  People 

But  Tahiti*  the  peerless— Great  Tahiti*  the  Golden, 
as  it  is  fondly  called  in  native  song*— is  no  such  low- 
lying  ring  on  the  endless  blue*  Proudly  it  sweeps 
in  gentle  slopes  from  the  shore  to  the  base  of  the 
mountains*  and  then  ascends  in  two  glorious  peaks— 
Orohena  and  Aoraii*  the  former  split  into  two  slivers 
of  rock  which  shoot  up  amid  the  dark  masses  of  tropic 
cloud  so  often  hanging  about  them*  Numerous  other 
peaks  jostle  one  another  on  the  scanty  footing  of  the 
island's  center*  with  bold  shoulders  thrust  against  the 
plain*  The  verdure  which  runs  riot  over  the  lowland* 
nothing  daunted*  clings  to  the  steep  walls*  with  bare 
patches  of  red  volcanic  earth  showing  here  and  there 
to  heighten  the  effect  of  green*  Numberless  cascades 
leap  from  the  cliffs  in  shimmering  threads  of  silver*  to 
go  gurgling  on  as  rivulets  to  the  sea.  or*  swollen  by 
sudden  cloudbursts  in  the  mountain's  heart*  foaming 
and  roaring  as  formidable  streams* 

The  island  is  shaped   like   a  figure  8*  the   larger 


ROAD    IN    MOOREA 


land  mass  being  specially  designated  as  Tahiti  Nui,  or 
Great  Tahiti,  and  the  smaller  division,  connected  by 
the  low  Taravao  Isthmus,  as  Taiarapu*  The  villages 
are  confined  to  the  coast-line  and  are  generally  located 
near  the  river  mouths.  They  are  all  of  small  size, 
the  total  population  of  the  island  according  to  the  last 
census  numbering  but  little  over  eleven  thousand*  Just 
at  the  bottom  of  the  figure  8,  on  the  northwest  end  of 
the  island,  lies  Papeete,  the  headquarters  of  the  French 
in  the  South  Seas*  Indeed,  it  is  the  only  settlement 
of  the  Society  Group  where  any  considerable  number 
of  Europeans  congregate*  Of  these  there  is  a  scant 
thousand— a  cosmopolitan  assemblage,  with  French  pre- 
dominating, but  including  American,  English,  German, 
Scandinavian  and,  I  dare  say,  many  other  nationalities* 
The  Chinese  are  well  represented,  many  of  the  smaller 
and  a  few  of  the  larger  stores  being  in  their  hands* 
The  numerous  little  coffee  houses  and  restaurants, 
chiefly  patronized  by  the  natives,  are  conducted  by 
the  Chinese* 

cA  South  Sea  cMetropolis 

Papeete  is  a  charming,  lazy,  tropic  seaport  town* 
Its  harbor  is  entered  through  a  break  in  the  coral  reef, 
admitting  with  perfect  safety,  despite  its  extreme  nar- 
rowness, the  largest  ocean  steamers*  In  the  sheltered 


lagoon,  with  the  green  mountain  walls  piled  up  for  a 
background  and  the  open  sea  stretching  off  before  it, 
interrupted  only  by  the  great  natural  breakwater  upon 
which  the  billows  are  crashing,  many  small  schooners 
lie  at  anchor  or  moored  to  the  shore*  A  French  cruiser 
is  generally  stationed  in  its  still  waters,  and  at  regular 
intervals  the  steamers  come  and  go  on  the  voyages  to 
San  Francisco  and  Auckland* 

How  quaint  it  all  is!  Here  is  the  market-place  where 
multitudes  of  natives  congregate  at  daybreak  to  make 
their  modest  purchases  of  fish  and  feis,  of  pineapple 
and  melon,  or  of  preserved  shrimp  done  up  in  joints  of 
green  bamboo*  The  lovely  Quai  du  Commerce  along 
the  water  front  is  shaded  by  wide-spreading  arches  of 
acacia  trees*  Many  of  the  more  important  stores  are 
located  here,  and  a  fine  new  stone  hotel  is  now  in 
course  of  construction*  "We  notice  the  public  wash- 
basin, roofed  over  with  tiles,  where  a  dozen  or  twenty 
dusky- skinned  women  paddle  about  in  the  shallow 
water  and  pound  their  clothes  with  stones*  Idleness 
and  ease  and  good  nature  is  the  order  of  the  day* 
Men  and  women  saunter  on  the  shady  highway 
decked  as  for  a  carnival,  with  flowers  tucked  behind 
their  ears  or  wound  in  chains  and  wreaths  about  their 
necks  and  heads*  A  man  is  well  dressed  if  he  wears 
a  bright  red  figured  cloth,  known  as  a  pareu,  around 
his  waist  and  an  undershirt  on  his  back*  The  women 


PREPARING    BREADFRUIT 


\BRAR7 

OF  THE 

(   UNIVERSITY  ) 

OF 


wear  bright  gowns  of  calico  hung  from  the  shoulders, 
often  caught  up  under  the  arm  as  they  walk*  Euro- 
peans and  the  more  fastidious  and  aristocratic  natives 
dress  in  white— -the  men  in  duck,  with  light  hats  of 
native  weave  made  of  sugar-cane  or  bamboo*  To 
add  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  street  scenes  are  the 
Gens  d'Armes  in  their  uniforms,  the  French  sailors, 
the  officers  from  the  substantial  military  barracks,  the 
Chinese,  and  a  sprinkling  of  East  Indians.  A  native, 
carrying  his  burden  swinging  from  the  ends  of  a 
bamboo  pole  held  on  the  shoulder,  treads  noiselessly 
down  the  quiet  street.  A  party  arrives  in  an  open, 
clinker-built  boat  from  a  voyage  around  the  coast,  and 
listlessly  disembarks  and  lands  the  cargo  of  charcoal 
done  up  in  rough  baskets.  An  old-fashioned  carriage 
drawn  by  stocky  little  island  horses  clatters  past,  dis- 
turbing for  a  moment  the  equilibrium  of  the  scene. 

Home  Life  of  the  Datives 

'Tis  -a  pity  the  houses  of  Papeete  are  not  more 
picturesque.  Corrugated  iron  roofs  and  painted  walls 
have  played  havoc  with  their  aesthetic  qualities,  but 
they  nestle  away  in  bowers  of  splendid  foliage  such  as 
only  the  tropics  can  produce.  The  native  houses  in 
the  outlying  provinces  still  have  the  primitive  charm. 
They  are  built  of  upright  sticks  of  bamboo,  lashed  side 


by  side  to  a  frame  of  stripped  poles  in  the  form  of  an 
ovaL  Upon  this  is  a  heavy  roof  of  pandanus  thatch, 
covering  a  cool,  airy  and  truly  charming  home*  The 
air  circulates  freely  through  the  cracks  between  the 
poles,  as  well  as  between  the  two  doorways  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  house*  There  are  no  windows,  nor  are 
they  needed 

Food  is  cooked  near  by  under  a  shed  of  thatch,  the 
native  oven  consisting  of  a  layer  of  stones  upon  which 
a  fire  is  built*  When  duly  heated,  the  food  is  placed 
amid  the  embers,  wrapped  in  pieces  of  banana  leaves 
and  covered  over  with  piles  of  damp  breadfruit  leaves* 
Breadfruit,  taro,  green  bananas  and  feis  or  mountain 
plantains,  are  the  staple  foods  which  are  roasted  in  this 
fashion,  except  upon  the  occasion  of  feasts,  when  roast 
sucking  pig  and  chicken  are  added  to  the  bill  of  fare* 
The  cocoanut  is  used  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and  an 
excellent  sauce  made  of  the  compressed  juice  of  the 
grated  nut.  together  with  lime-juice  and  sea  water, 
savors  many  of  their  viands* 

The  fish  which  swarm  in  these  waters  form  another 
easily  secured  food  supply*  They  are  caught  in  a 
variety  of  ways,  not  the  least  picturesque  of  which  is 
the  torchlight  fishing  on  the  lagoon*  Torches  are 
improvised  of  long  coco  palm  branches  tied  into  rolls* 
With  a  boatload  of  these,  together  with  nets  and  spears, 
the  fishermen  paddle  out  upon  the  water  after  dark. 


•" 

'OF  THE 


f  UNIVERSITY 


OF 


Flying  fish,  attracted  by  the  light,  come  whining 
overhead  and  ate  dexterously  caught  in  a  hand  net*- 
Other  fish  are  speared  over  the  side  of  the  canoe* 
Dolphin  and  bonita  are  taken  with  hook  and  line  in 
larger  canoes  sailing  on  the  open  sea,  but  this  branch 
of  fishing  is  limited  to  a  few  hardy  men*  The  women 
scoop  up  small  river  fish  in  baskets,  and  drag  nets  are 
employed  to  capture  the  finny  prey  of  the  lagoon* 

The  Tahitians 

The  Tahitians  are  quite  as  much  at  home  in  the 
water  as  on  land,  and  are  great  bathers*  Strangely 
enough,  they  prefer  the  fresh  water,  the  river  mouths 
being  favorite  places  for  them  to  congregate*  They 
are  people  of  fine  physique,  tall  and  well  proportioned, 
with  rich,  bronzy  skin  of  beautiful  color  and  texture* 
No  feature  of  the  race  strikes  the  visitor  more  forcibly 
or  more  pleasantly  than  their  affability*  They  have 
a  smile  and  a  greeting  for  all  who  chance  their  way* 
"lorana!"  the  island  salutation,  is  on  every  lip*  They 
have  good  features,  the  lips  somewhat  sensuously  thick- 
ened and  the  noses  rather  wide  and  flat ;  but  withal,  so 
kindly  are  their  countenances,  so  large  and  dreamy  the 
dark  eyes,  that  one  cannot  but  be  fascinated  with  them* 
There  is  a  childlike  simplicity  about  their  every  action, 
a  litheness  and  grace  in  their  motions,  a  naturalness 


governing  their  impulses,  that  is  refreshingly  delightful 
to  one  who  comes  to  them  from  the  stiffness  and 
conventionality  of  modern  civilization.  Their  hospi- 
tality knew  no  bounds  until  it  was  continually  abused* 
Among  themselves  they  are  communists,  sharing  homes, 
food  and  all  that  they  possess  with  every  needy  kins- 
man. Among  Tahitians  relations  are  numberless,  so  it 
goes  without  saying  that  since  they  look  out  for  their 
poor  relations,  there  are  no  poor.  All  are  happy  and 
content,  but  alas!  the  usual  fate  of  the  dark  races  is 
befalling  them.  Like  other  child -folk  of  the  globe, 
they  seem  unable  to  cope  with  the  more  aggressive 
invaders  that  have  come  amongst  them,  and  a  slow, 
but  inevitable  decline  in  the  population  is  the  result* 

The  French  have  treated  their  conquered  subjects 
with  unusual  liberality,  giving  them  political  equality 
under  a  governor  sent  from  France.  But  in  spite  of  this, 
the  forces  of  disintegration  are  ceaselessly  operative. 
Some  of  these  deadly  causes  which  are  undermining 
the  race  are  preventable,  others  not  so.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem,  one  of  their  misfortunes  is  their  affluence. 
Why  should  a  man  work  when  there  is  no  spur  to  his 
ambition— when  food  is  plenty  and  he  has  more  money 
than  he  knows  how  to  spend?  This  is  precisely  the 
condition  with  many  Tahitians  today.  The  high  price 
of  vanilla  beans  makes  this  industry  an  extremely  prof- 
itable one.  Although  requiring  considerable  pains  and 


AR7 
'OF  THE 

f  UNIVERSITY 

OF 


attention,  vanilla  growing  is  done  with  the  usual  dolcc 
far  niente  of  the  inhabitants*  The  drying  of  cocoanut 
meat  and  shipping  it  away  as  copra  is  another  industry 
calling  for  little  concentration  or  application,  and  yet 
yielding  a  good  livelihood*  Within  the  past  two  years, 
since  the  steamer  has  been  running  to  San  Francisco, 
a  market  has  been  found  for  the  surplus  bananas  and 
pineapples  which  formerly  went  to  waste* 

Tropical  Fruits 

The  traveler  visiting  the  tropics  for  the  first  time 
revels  in  the  strange  ftuits  which  are  lavished  upon 
him  so  prodigally*  To  go  into  a  pineapple  patch  and 
pluck  the  golden  fruit  from  its  prickly  nest,  to  slash  off 
its  rough  rind  and  feast  upon  its  luscious,  juicy  pulp 
is  an  experience  not  soon  to  be  forgotten*  Bananas  of 
unheard  of  varieties,  from  the  little  fine-flavored  fig 
banana  to  great  fat,  ted  Burgomasters  of  the  tribe,  are 
on  hand  in  plenty,  and  are  a  different  fruit  from  the 
musty  trophies  of  the  huckster's  garret*  The  cocoanut 
of  the  northern  markets  would  be  fed  to  the  pigs  in 
Tahiti*  The  green  fruit,  thrown  by  a  dexterous 
climber  from  its  cluster  suspended  in  mid-air,  husked, 
and  opened  at  one  end,  is  full  of  the  most  delicious 
beverage  Mother  Nature  concocts*  The  pulp  can  be 
scooped  out  with  a  spoon  and  has  the  consistency  of 


a  delicate  blanc  mange.  Other  fruits  in  abundance, 
many  of  them  unheard  of  in  the  temperate  zone,  go 
a-begging  in  this  land  of  plenty*  There  are  several  vari- 
eties of  mangoes*  guavas*  papayas*  avocados,  oranges 
and  delicious  green  limes*  as  well  as  various  less  conspic- 
uous fruits  to  be  discovered  and  tasted  by  the  curious* 
The  breadfruit*  which  forms  so  important  a  part  of 
the  native  food*  is  really  a  vegetable  rather  than  a 
fruit*  since  it  must  be  cooked  before  it  is  fit  to  eat* 
Nevertheless,  it  grows  upon  a  tree  and  requires  no  care 
or  cultivation*  It  is  spherical*  considerably  larger  than 
a  full-sized  orange*  green  in  color*  turning  yellowish 
when  fully  ripe,  and  has  a  honeycombed  surface  with 
a  wart  in  the  center  of  each  enclosure*  "When  roasted 
in  the  native  oven*  the  breadfruit  tastes  not  unlike  a 
mildly  flavored  sweet  potato*  It  has  a  firmer  texture 
and  a  less  positive  quality  than  the  sweet  potato*  but  is 
a  very  palatable  and  refined  food*  The  gray,  mealy 
taro  root  is  another  favorite  native  dish  which  is 
agreeable  to  the  European  palate* 

Out  in  the  Provinces 

One  can  not  expect  to  see  Tahiti  by  lounging  about 
Papeete*  sipping  iced  drinks  at  the  Cercle  Bougainville, 
or  perambulating  about  the  narrow  streets  and  poking 
into  the  countless  little  shops  adjoining  the  market 


place*  The  weather  is  not  so  hot  that  one  need  be 
uncomfortable,  provided  ordinary  prudence  be  exercised 
in  keeping  out  of  the  sun  during  the  midday  hours* 
The  refreshing  trade  wind  blows  almost  continuously 
night  and  day*  tempering  the  air  with  its  grateful 
ozone*  By  all  means*  then*  let  us  stir  about  and  enjoy 
the  life  and  scenery  of  this  island  of  enchantment* 

I  recall  with  peculiar  delight  the  moonlight  drive 
to  Point  Venus*  famed  as  the  spot  where  Captain  Cook 
made  his  memorable  observation  of  the  transit  of  Venus* 
What  climbing  of  heights  commanding  a  sweep  of  shore 
veiled  in  the  mysterious  haze  of  a  tropic  night!  What 
delving  into  sombrous  hollows  with  strange,  rank  plant 
forms  catching  glints  of  light  on  their  broad  leafage! 
What  clouds  of  silver  rolling  across  the  dark  vault 
overhead!  At  one  moment  a  rain  squall  beat  down 
upon  us  furiously ;  anon  the  moon  was  bewitching  the 
landscape  with  its  serene  light*  We  edged  along  a  bay 
where  a  break  in  the  barrier  reef  let  in  the  ocean 
waves  full  tilt  upon  the  rocky  coast*  roaring  and  crash- 
ing in  glittering  white  combers*  Coco-palms  towered 
above  us  with  fantastic  plumed  tufts  fluttering  in  the 
breeze*  There  were  glimpses  of  native  fires  in  the 
jungle,  and  snatches  of  barbaric  song  floated  to  us 
from  afar* 

Oh,  those  native  songs,  how  they  take  hold  of 
one  and  stir  him  with  their  savage  rhythm  and  impet- 


uosity !  To  hear  them  to  advantage  it  is  necessary  to 
visit  the  outlying  provinces*  I  did  this  under  delightful 
auspices  — the  guest  of  an  island  planter  who  took 
a  merry  party  of  us  on  the  grand  tour  of  the  island. 
"We  went  in  two  light  spring  wagons,  stopping  each 
night  on  the  way  at  a  native  village  where  we  were 
royally  entertained  by  the  district  chief  and  his  people. 
We  slept  in  native  houses  which  were  charming  in 
their  simplicity  and  fitness  to  the  life  of  the  people* 
We  partook  of  their  generous  fare,  in  which  roast 
sucking  pig  and  chicken  were  very  much  in  evidence. 
Such  scenery  was  unfolded  to  our  ever-wondering  gaze 
as  I  never  expect  to  encounter  elsewhere.  Deep  streams 
had  to  be  forded,  and  there  were  unfrequented  stretches 
of  road  that  led  through  the  jungle ;  but  all  was  novel, 
beautiful,  fascinating.  Tautira,  at  the  opposite  end  of 
the  island,  was  the  objective  point  of  our  journey*  In 
its  main  features  it  has  probably  changed  but  little  since 
the  days  when  Captain  Cook  delighted  in  its  many 
beauties.  It  is  approached  by  fording  the  lovely  Tau- 
tira  River  and  then  down  an  avenue  of  lofty  arching 
trees  close  by  the  shore  of  the  lagoon.  The  oval 
bamboo  houses  are  scattered  in  a  picturesque  line  near 
the  sea,  with  bold  mountains  mantled  in  verdure  rising 
behind  the  village*  It  was  here  that  Stevenson 
remained  to  recuperate  from  an  illness,  the  guest  of 
Ori-a-ori,  the  chief.  "We  returned  to  Papeete  by  the 


\ 


opposite  side  of  the  island,  passing  through  the  opulent 
Papara  district,  which  was  famed  in  the  days  of  the 
early  voyagers  for  its  great  marae*— a  truncated  pyra- 
mid of  stone  steps  used  as  a  temple,  and  the  scene  of 
much  stirring  history* 

Of  shorter  jaunts  from  Papeete*  one  of  the  most 
interesting  is  to  Fautahua*  a  French  military  post  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  mountains*  A  carriage  road 
extends  to  Fashoda  bridge*  well  up  in  the  mountains, 
beyond  which  a  good  footpath  leads  on  up  the  gorge* 
past  a  silver  thread  of  a  waterfall  which  leaps  over  a 
rocky  rim  to  the  bed  of  the  stream  six  hundred  feet 
below*  It  was  here  that  the  natives  made  a  last  stand 
in  their  war  with  the  French*  A  little  beyond  the 
spot  rise  the  crags  which  compose  The  Diadem*  a 
striking  landmark  in  the  mountains  of  Tahiti* 

No  one  should  leave  the  Society  Islands  without 
having  visited  Moorea*  Its  shore  is  only  about  eighteen 
miles  distant,  and  a  little  steamer  makes  periodic  trips* 
It  is  Tahiti  in  miniature*  with  its  beauties  accentuated* 
Peaks  and  spires  rise  in  such  fantastic  forms  as  I  had 
previously  imagined  existed  only  in  picture  books  or 
stage  scenery*  These  cathedral  pinnacles  jutting  up 
thousands  of  feet  into  cloudland*  with  two  narrow 
landlocked  bays  almost  severing  the  island  at  their 
base*  and  a  lush  tanglement  of  tropic  foliage  over- 
spreading all*  gave  the  island  an  unearthly  beauty. 


One  might  fancy  himself  upon  the  island  of  an 
enchanter,  so  unreal  and  spectacular  it  all  appears. 
Indeed,  we  see  a  hole  in  one  of  the  lofty  crags  where 
a  genie  of  old  hurled  his  spear  through  the  peak* 

lorana  Tahiti 

But  enough  of  this  South  Sea  wonderland!  He 
who  has  once  visited  it  will  forever  after  be  haunted 
with  its  bewitching  charm!  The  fragrance  of  the 
tiere  flower  will  be  wafted  to  him  by  mysterious 
winds.  The  roll  of  drums,  the  wild  cadences  of  im- 
petuous singers  iterating  and  reiterating  their  melodious 
syllables,  with  swaying  bodies  and  impassioned  gestures, 
will  haunt  his  fancy*  He  will  see  the  palm-fringed 
lagoon,  with  outrigger  canoes  floating  upon  the  glassy 
tide*  Smiling,  dusky  faces  will  peer  upon  him  from 
the  coverts  of  memory  and  cry  out  to  him  blithe 
" loranas."  He  who  has  eaten  of  the  fei  will  ever 
after  think  of  Tahiti  with  longing  fancies,  for  its 
gentle  people,  its  balmy  air,  its  bounty  of  all  green 
things  upon  the  land  and  its  royal  sweep  of  envel- 
oping blue,  deep,  tender  and  serene,  its  glory  of  cloud 
forms  unknown  in  the  temperate  zone,  all  will  conspire 
to  enchain  his  memory  and  make  him  often  dwell 
upon  its  peerless  charms*  lorana,  Tahiti-nui  marearea! 


ON    THE    NINETY-MILE    ROAD 


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